New York Chic Meets Southern Comfort in a Texas Home
If this family moved from New York City to Texas, they desired the look they had honed in Gotham to come together with them. They found a house with architecture they loved, with a freshly renovated kitchen and toilet they liked. But when the furniture was in, they had help pulling it together. After admiring the kind of the regional interior designers in Laura U, the family enlisted them to integrate their love of modern art and style, find furniture and accessories that could stand up to 2 young boys and most important, make comfortable and practical spaces where they can relax as a family and with friends.
Listed below are four of the redecorated rooms that are comfortable yet stylish, along with layout tips for the rest of us.
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The Celerie Kemble wall covering the designers found to the first-floor den set the tone(s) for the room’s entire layout. “We love the newspaper and maintained that color scheme in mind during every space,” the team’s Laura Umansky says. “It looks so wealthy, and the color is truly beautiful. We believe it sets this space apart and really makes it something special.”
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The den functions as the formal living area; the family uses it primarily for entertaining. Open into the wine area, it’s as a private-lounge feel.
Hint: “extending the window treatments to the crown molding accentuates the windows and brings your eye all the way up, making the ceilings feel bigger,” Umansky says.
BEFORE: The original dining area lacked heat and color.
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AFTER: “Adding window treatments and rugs really softens a space,” Umansky says. Stripes on the rug and unfrilly window treatments maintain the couple’s urbane style, while patterned chairs and a wood table add heat. Abstract art and a modern light fixture are a stunning focal points.
Ceiling paint: Poised Taupe, flat end, Sherwin-Williams; Modo Chandelier: Design Within Reach
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Hint: Heal the ceiling because the fifth wall. “We love bringing color to the ceiling — it provides another point of distinction between rooms and makes the layout within the room cohesive,” Umansky says.
BEFORE: The breakfast nook, a family gathering spot just off the kitchen, was bare and blah.
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AFTER: Don’t write office furniture off while browsing for dining seats. The customer owned the table and chairs, and the design staff initially had reservations about using office furniture at the skillet. “Initially we were a bit reluctant to add them, but we loved the idea. They are fantastic for your kids, easy to wipe down and easy to move, so you can wash under them” Umansky says.
A round rug, a globe pendant custom and light flat Roman shades with a Greek key pattern soften the room and take away any workplace vibe. “The Greek key pattern brings a subtle texture into the room, and also the purple square glass trim is really entertaining,” Umansky says.
Chairs: Eames Aluminum Management Group Leather Chair; rug: Flor, cut into a 9-foot circle
BEFORE: The huge family room had good bones but was uninviting.
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AFTER: “This large-scale room cried out to be broken up into two seating areas,” Umansky says. There is a TV-watching area complete with a comfy sectional and an ottoman at one end, and a formal seating area centered around a cocktail table outside it. “This space is open to the kitchen, so the homeowner’s guests can lounge and still socialize if the host is cooking,” she says.
Hint: Utilize rugs to combine and specify spaces. 1 large sisal rug pulls both seats areas together here; a cowhide rug sets the next seating area apart while providing an understated nod into the family’s fresh Texas surroundings. “By layering rugs, like we did here in the proper subject of the area, you can create more intimate spaces in a subtle way,” Umansky says.
Light-colored window treatments complement the arched doorways. 1 long pole run all of the way round prevents the room from feeling sliced in 2.
Sisal rug: Particular Carpets; window treatments: habit, cotton with grosgrain trim
The best way to furnish a long, narrow area
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“We wanted that area to be complicated but still comfy and approachable,” Umansky says. Don’t be tricked by the luxe overall look of the light-colored fabrics. “The couple’s two young sons played with a massive rule in our choices for certain fabrics that can take a great deal of abuse,” she notes. The team also maintained the house light on accessories in the homeowners’ request, as young and accessories children are not necessarily the ideal mix.
The ottoman from the TV area adds a generous dollop of rich color, inspired by the wall covering from the den. (You can see a peek of it through the door.)
Hint: Protect your fabrics from pets, kids as well as yourself. “We double up on cloth protection for families with little children and/or pets,” Umansky says. “We define commercial-grade fabrics on couches and chairs, and have all of our upholstery professionally treated to prevent stains. Typically, we recommend treating seats, rugs and even drapery.”
Sectional, ottoman: habit
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A sofa table functions both seating areas well, providing lighting in addition to definition between both seating areas. It also covers the back of a couch, which is awkward and uninviting looking.
Hint: When working with numerous seats groups in the same area, think about a tête-à-tête. Another way the team avoided that back-of-the-sofa issue was by utilizing a tête-à-tête (left). This is a type of settee that is available on both sides and confronts two distinct directions at once. “It confronts the entrance in addition to the living room, therefore it addresses both spaces,” Umansky says.
Tête-à-tête: Kravet; armchairs: Vanguard Furniture; couch: Armani Casa; cocktail table: Oly Studio
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Light tones soften the room and ensure that the couple’s modern art collection will operate in the area. While there are some dashes of color, the area gleans much of its visual interest from a mixture of textures out of metals, rugs and other fabrics.
“We wanted the house to be fully functional in addition to look great, and picked furnishings which are cozy for the close family of four,” Umansky says. At the same time, they gave the house a sophisticated look which permits the clients’ modern art collection and tastes to shine.